Most colocation provider quotes can be broken down into these components:

Floor space

Rack space

Power

Managed services

Telecommunications

Floor space and rack space: many colocation facilities combine these two components so you can only buy space in their racks. Some facilities allow you to purchase floor space and bring your own racks.

Power: Electrical power can be the most expensive component of colocation. Understand how power is supplied to your eqiupment. If downtime is expensive, you should look for A/B power from two discrete power feed/generator/UPS systems. Power should be billed by actual usage. Beware of providers who bill based on your circuit size.

Managed services: Managed services can include many IT-related services, from remote hands to application, operating system and break/fix support. Understand what you are paying for. Many providers pre-bill block hours and provide services whether you need them or not. If you do not need managed services, you shouldn't have to pay for them.

Telecommunications: More choices are typically better with telecommunications choices. You may need point-to-point connections from the data center to your office location and branch offices. You may need Internet bandwidth. You may need a combination of many circuits. At a carrier neutral data center, you'll be able to choose your telecom provider based on the best combination of price and value. Beware of monthly cross-connect fees, port charges and other add-ons.

Use these criteria to determine which outsource data center has the best combination of price and value for your business.

Alex Carroll

Alex, co-owner, is responsible for all real estate, construction and mission critical facilities: hardened buildings, power systems, cooling systems, fire suppression, and environmentals. Alex also manages relationships with the telecommunications providers and has an extensive background in IT infrastructure support, database administration and software design and development. Alex architected Lifeline’s proprietary GRCA system and is hands-on every day in the data center.

Upcoming Events

Event Details

Lifeline Data Centers has an ongoing program for civic leaders, authorities, executives, technology leaders, and influencers in the region to join them for a free lunch and learn at our

Event Details

Lifeline Data Centers has an ongoing program for civic leaders, authorities, executives, technology leaders, and influencers in the region to join them for a free lunch and learn at our Eastgate Facility. At times, we will have a guest speaker, and other times we will have an open forum for our leaders to share challenges and get guidance from other professionals. If you’re interested in speaking at a luncheon, please contact us and let us know.

Event Details

Lifeline Data Centers has an ongoing program for civic leaders, authorities, executives, technology leaders, and influencers in the region to join them for a free lunch and learn at our

Event Details

Lifeline Data Centers has an ongoing program for civic leaders, authorities, executives, technology leaders, and influencers in the region to join them for a free lunch and learn at our Eastgate Facility. At times, we will have a guest speaker, and other times we will have an open forum for our leaders to share challenges and get guidance from other professionals. If you’re interested in speaking at a luncheon, please contact us and let us know.

Our Newsletter

” My inbox is inundated with newsletters and infomercials, so I have to be choosey about what I read and why. I read the Data Center News Digest because it surprises me with thought-provoking information that goes far-beyond what you would expect from a datacenter service provider. ” John Frank, Sr. VP, BrightPoint Subscribe